West Brook High School teacher Drew Loker voiced a common complaint at this week's meeting of the Beaumont City Council: The council (and the Jefferson County commissioners, according to others) should have taken a more active role in urging change at the Beaumont ISD.

"Your passivity may have caused damage," Loker said. "Please get involved. Stop worrying about political concerns."

The frustration of Loker and other residents is understandable. As the BISD spiraled down in recent months, the city was inevitably dragged along with it. And since Beaumont is by far the largest city in the region, the chaos wasn't good for Southeast Texas either.

It would've been helpful for the city and county to pass resolutions demanding change, but governmental bodies traditionally don't get involved in each other's business. And as the recent flap over naming the mayor pro tem showed, the City Council is divided on the same racial/philosophical lines as the BISD trustees. That's largely because of the role that Councilman Mike Getz has played in challenging the BISD board.

At this point, however, that debate is moot. The takeover of the BISD by a board of managers and a new superintendent seems likely this month. When that blessed day arrives, the city, the county and many other organizations in Beaumont will face a larger challenge: Rebuilding the reputation of the school district, which is vital to the future of the city itself.

No one should ignore the elephant in the room here, also mentioned at Tuesday's council meeting: Too many people and businesses have decided not to move to Beaumont because the public school district was turned into a disaster by mind-boggling mismanagement and corruption.

It will take a long time to undo that damage. The district will need two strong years of leadership from the board of managers to begin the painstaking reconstruction. That's something the city and county can assist, and those board members should embrace that task without any hesitation.